Driver Texting in Wreck that Cost Worker His Legs

Monday

Fighting isn't anything new for Emmanuel Mejia. The 20-year-old amateur boxer maintains a positive outlook despite losing both of his legs and enduring weeks of pain.

BARTOW | Fighting isn't anything new for Emmanuel Mejia.

The 20-year-old amateur boxer maintains a positive outlook despite losing both of his legs and enduring weeks of pain.

"I thank God that I am still alive and well," he said.

Prosecutors say Mejia was working for Florida Refuse Services and emptying trash cans along Hankin Road east of Bartow on Aug. 25 when a motorist distracted by text messaging struck him.

Stephen Wade Horne, 26, of Bartow, was arrested Monday on charges of reckless driving with serious bodily injury. The third-degree felony carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.

He remained in jail Monday evening on $15,000 bail, jail records show.

A search warrant obtained by the Polk County Sheriff's Office to seize Horne's cellular phone outlines some details in the case.

Emergency workers told a Florida Highway Patrol investigator that after the crash Horne "made the statement that he was texting on his phone."

Mejia said he can recall the moment just before impact. He was getting ready to empty a trash can when a noise caused him to turn around.

"The car was right there," Mejia said.

As the 2007 Suzuki barreled toward him, Mejia said he jumped so his waist wouldn't be crushed against the back of the garbage truck.

"I just remember getting hit," he said. "Then I rolled off the car hood into the grass. I was awake. I didn't go into shock. I didn't pass out or nothing."

He got out his cellular phone and called a friend to tell his mother that he had been hit by a car.

He said he lost consciousness during a helicopter ride and doesn't remember anything until waking up about two weeks later in Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

Mejia said a doctor later told him that he had to be revived three different times because his heart stopped.

His left leg was amputated below the knee, and his right leg was amputated halfway up his thigh.

His right index finger was also amputated as well as half of his right thumb.

He said that once he is discharged in a few weeks from LRMC, he will likely go to Tampa General Hospital for rehabilitation and to be fitted for prosthetic legs.

Mejia said he has battled to remain upbeat in the months since the crash.

"When I first woke up, I was a little depressed and angry at the same time," he said. "I hated looking at myself, looking down, and my legs were gone."

But Mejia said he found strength in the support of his parents, girlfriend, family and friends.

"They're always telling me to just keep my head up and stay strong," he said.

The Winter Haven native said he has been training as a boxer since he was 9 years old.

He thought about eventually trying to go professional and had a backup plan of becoming a registered nurse.

"I finally got to the point to where I felt good enough to start doing the tournaments and competing with other amateur boxers," he said.

He was looking forward to another match in September before the crash took place.

Mejia said he has contacted a lawyer to represent him.

He said he hopes motorists will learn to avoid distractions when they drive.

"Nobody should be texting and driving," he said.

Sgt. Larry Kraus, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol, recommended motorists find a safe place to pull over out of traffic if they must send a text message or e-mail with their cell phones.

The dangers of texting while driving has been grabbing headlines recently.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute released results earlier this year from a study on distracted truck drivers.

The study found that truckers who send text messages while driving were 23.2 times more likely to be involved in crashes, near-crashes, unintentional lane deviations and other "safety-critical events."

In September, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that bans federal employees from texting while driving.

Last month, the Polk County Commission voted to ban text messaging by county employees while they are driving on county business.

[ Jason Geary can be reached at jason.geary@theledger.com or 863-802-7536. ]

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